Danger Will Follow
by lisek16
Summary: Whatever Sydney touches Danger Follows Added 13-16... It's complete. Enjoy.. . R/R please
1. I hate surprises'

Danger Will Follow  
By Elise Koerner  
  
-Sydney POV-  
PROLOUGE:  
The mission was relatively simple. All I had to do was to monitor Khasinau's heart rate. I succeeded; I planned to leave, but somehow I got sidetracked. I remember wondering why Will was in Paris, especially out of all the places in the world that I had already been to. I ruined his life once more, and because of me he had to be locked in the CIA safe house. Because of me Sark had the upper hand. It must have been like shooting a fish in a fish tank to him…It was the Joey's Pizza call that changed me and filled me with a new found sense of determination.  
-THE WAREHOUSE-  
-Sydney POV-  
"He's not dead; we have satellite feed confirming that….but Sark is serious. Either we destroy the Muller device or…" Vaughn's voice trailed off into the distance as I interjected. "There is no or! We steal the Muller device from the SD-6, create a falsified doppelganger and present it…" I replied.  
"Do you know how dangerous that is?" Vaughn hissed. His strong brow was noticeably filled with wrinkles of worry. "I got Will into this life….If only I had followed protocol…" I thought aloud. I fumbled with the terse sentences.   
"When have you ever followed protocol?" asked Vaughn lightly. I could tell her was trying to make me smile. He succeeded and a weak smile came over my face. "Good point" I answered. The smile had surfaced and vanished within seconds. Vaughn could see I wasn't amused, he continued though on a more serious note. "It wasn't your fault; you weren't privy to your father's operation. I'm sure Will was relieved…I know I would be!" he said as he blushed.  
"Relieved? To know I work for the people who killed my fiancé?" I retorted. Stupidly as I looked back on this moment I couldn't believe how insufferable I had been to Vaughn but yet he always let me rant and rave.   
"No. Relieved as in to know that your priority is him; not the agency!" he responded. I changed the topic…a topic that seemed better suited to his complement.  
"Vaughn, since we've made it clear how I feel about protocol….I was wondering if you wanted to escort me to Khasinau's exchange." I asked.  
"Sydney, that's a big risk. We are assuming that Sark won't remember me from Denpassar. Wouldn't you rather go with someone with more field experience anyways…" he was dodging my eyes while he spoke.  
  
-Vaughn POV-  
"Look, we broke into the Vatican together. We worked together in Algiers and without you in Denpassar….we would have not only lost the ampule…..but there is a large chance that the CIA would have lost me too. I know you are my handler but you can handle more of me…more then me…Wow that didn't come out right! Listen, you do good field work and I enjoy working with you…It's one of the only times that I don't feel like I'm working for the bad guys…." Sydney said. I was blushing almost as much as she was. Somehow though we faced awkward moments like this so many times, but never had an answer to resolve them. There was the embrace in Rome. The stolen glances that took place constantly… so many awkward moments that if I had a penny for each one I would be rich enough to pay Arvin Sloane to recuse Sydney for good.  
"At least consider it…" she said. She brushed a lone strand of brown hair behind her ear and looked at her toes which rested in open-toed heels. "Devlin would never agree" I said. I wanted to say yes, but it was too dangerous. I knew Sydney didn't like excuses; she tended to refute them and make them disappear. She knew just what to say though. "He will if I threaten not to help the CIA with the Khasinau exchange and future missions…." She said; she was playing with the words as if she knew I'd never let her take a chance like that…though she knew that I knew she'd never recuse herself….it was a game we played…saying things in an off handed way to receive the reactions we desired. A CIA tip perhaps…  
"Sydney, though that worked; last time you got me my promotion….I don't think you should threaten to leave again. Let me see what I can do. I'll contact you…" I said. I didn't want to be known as the office wimp, and Sydney had done enough for me already. She was too amazing of a person for me to take advantage of. Though she held more clout them me, I shouldn't resort to making her throw it around more than necessary.   
She looked skeptical, I suppose she didn't believe that I would take this upon myself and come through. She looked up from her toes and said "I can't wait". She grabbed her purse and stood directly in front of me. She let her lips graze my cheek for a moment and walked away. I thought to myself 'neither can I'.   
-CIA-  
-Vaughn POV-  
It was 10 AM the next morning. I had been feverously working on the growing mound of paperwork on my desk, when I glanced up at the clock. '20 minutes', I thought. 20 minutes until I would call Sydney. It would be early for one of our debriefings but Sydney was going into work later for a Khasinau update. Nothing new though. Sloane obviously felt that he needed to waste her time on nonsense.  
Weiss poked his head in and interrupted my thoughts. "Hey! Wanna grab lunch later?" he asked. "I can't" I responded. I glanced at the clock and continued to try to complete the paperwork. I could tell Weiss had moved from the door to the chair in front on my desk because I could hear him fiddling with a candy wrapper, he obviously didn't approve of my answer. "I have to see Devlin then I need to pick up coffee and have a debriefing with Sydney." I said. I didn't look up, I knew better by now. "What do you need to see Devlin about?" he asked, blatantly ignoring the fact that I had mentioned Sydney.  
"Just a question I need to ask for Sydney." I said. I tried to sound professional. Like I wasn't emotionally attached, but Weiss knew me better. He stood up and closed my laptop which forced me to not only look up but to also react because I didn't want to lose my fingers. Hadn't I already lost enough due to my job?  
"Didn't we go over this a few days ago? You are getting too attached!" he said in a harsh tone. I could tell he was pissed. Perhaps in the future I'll learn that being vague is better in situations like this…  
"I don't know how to be unattached…but I now know not to involve you in this conundrum in the future!" I responded. Weiss could see this wasn't worth his time. He sat back down and politely stated, "We established that next time I'm not covering for you….I'm serious." I could tell he was serious. I was too though. We had always been good friends but on some issues, such as my relationship with Sydney, we'd never agree.  
"I can survive…but Sydney won't like it." I said. I was only half serious, I was just messing with him, trying to make him roll his eyes and leave so that I could stay on schedule and meet with Sydney. Why, oh why didn't I back off before it was too late?   
"Devlin just called me into his office. You're off her case. You need a breather and you need to stay focused." He said. I couldn't believe he'd betray me, as he walked to the door I cursed at him. He turned around and said "Devlin initiated this. Not me."   
I angrily sprinted out of my office and heard Weiss yell out "Calm down…" I got to Devlin's door and practically knocked it over. "Where the hell do you get off discussing me and my job responsibilities with Weiss?" I yelled. I startled Devlin who was on the phone, he said "I have to go" into his phone, and hung up. He faced me and did not look amused. "Good Morning to you too Mr. Vaughn; I'm assuming you are referring to your reassignment. I felt your services could be more beneficial elsewhere. Don't make me regret that decision." He motioned for me to sit down and handed me what appeared to be my CIA file. He continued. "For future reference I don't appreciate being interrupted or yelled at." I mumbled sorry as I flipped through the data. "This isn't my file." I responded. "It isn't accurate." I continued.  
"Exactly; you start tomorrow, Jack will meet you in front of SD-6's headquarters, Credit Dauphine at 8 AM." He said. "What?" I said. I was confused. Was Devlin saying what I thought he was? "Jack wants Sydney to have back-up. He hasn't been privy to confidential intelligence nor has he been reassigned to active duty. Jack feels that by bringing in a new operative that it will upset the balance in SD-6 and offer us a better chance to not only protect Sydney but to take them down. So Jack 'recruited' you from the CIA to work with Sydney while Dixon recovers from the head injury you so generously offered him in Denpassar." He said.  
"Wow…I just…wow." I said. The rest of the afternoon was filled with training to prepare me for surveillance checks. Before I left for the night Devlin said to me "If you ever pull a stunt like that again, anger-management classes will be the least of your worries." I knew I'd regret it, but I couldn't see a downside to working with Sydney full time. I suppose I couldn't have known what I was getting into but whatever SD-6 seems to touch danger follows.  
-Credit Dauphine/SD-6 HQ-  
-Sydney POV-  
It was early in the morning. I hadn't heard from Vaughn in two days, which concerned me a bit. I had come in early in hopes of convincing Sloane to give me the afternoon off. After all Dixon was leaving for Paris, France tonight. He and his wife Diane were going on a month long European tour while he recovered from his head injury.. Sloane wasn't thrilled but he accepted it. Sloane figured that if Dixon had to be out of work he might as well use it as a vacation. Typical Sloane; always trying to take personal days away from anyone he could. I had high hopes that I would get a lighter mission load while he was away…at least something good might come my way.  
I could use the extra free time, especially because I was planning a surprise birthday party for Francie and I needed to get organized, of course with my luck I'd be out of the country for it…  
  
-Vaughn POV-  
I hadn't gotten a chance to see Sydney since our last meeting. I knew she'd want to kill me though for not telling her, but Jack stressed to me that it would not only be a bad idea but it would but this entire operation under scrutiny.  
I met Jack in front of Credit Dauphine; I had been inside once before, but never with their knowledge. Jack escorted me and I was amazed. I mean, you'd never know…As we walked through the office I saw Sydney chatting with Dixon. She looked up when she noticed her father and I could see her trying to remain composed. She excused herself and walked over to her father. "Hey, Dad…who's this?" She asked sweetly. "Sydney, this is Michael Vaughn. He is a new operative and he'll be taking over for Dixon while he's on vacation." "it's nice to meet you." I said. "You too" she cooed. I could tell she was putting up this front for Sloane. I could sense she wanted to kick my butt in her four inch heels.   
Her father escorted us into the conference room. Sydney asked if she could borrow a pen for the meeting and he handed her a titanium vessel which I had heard Sydney describe to me. Jack excused himself and Sydney purposely fiddled with the pen. Finally she clicked on the cap and said "We have two minutes"  
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked in a loud whisper. "When would I have done that?" I asked in the same whispered tone that she exuded. "I don't know" she confessed in a softer voice and she continued, "I hate surprises"  
"Good to know" I said. She looked at her watch and frowned. "I'm glad you're here though. It's nice to get to see you in public. Now that hockey game is a possibility…"She said. Her fingers motioned the number two. Time was up. Time was always up.  
My first meeting with Sloane went relatively well. He seemed to like me and described our mission to London, England for tomorrow morning. I was surprised that he'd sent me out on a mission so early. Sydney obviously wasn't amused. She looked at me and scrutinized my reactions to Sloane's description. Our mission was to steal some files from a lab in London. Sydney and I were posing as biologists from America who were interested in working for them. We were scheduled to be interviewed tomorrow afternoon. Sydney said goodbye and left early. I, on the other hand, was forced to stay late because I needed to review mission specs. Later I received a Joey's Pizza call and Weiss briefed me. It was my job to alert Sydney to the counter mission.  
-Airplane-  
-Sydney POV-  
Sitting on the plane next to him was painful. We spoke briefly, only a few words here and there. We tried to concentrate on the in flight movie but somehow "Harry Potter" didn't agree with us. Eventually Vaughn doodled on his napkin. He drew a cube and I could decipher a note written inside. I thought to myself 'smart move'. No one else would ever know or see. The note said "Remember how you told me that you expect betrayal? I won't betray you, you don't have to worry. I have your counter. I'll fill you in."  
I smiled. It was sweet. This just gave me one more reason to admire him. I handed him back the napkin and said "cute". He looked at me and I nodded. I melted as he looked into my eyes. It's not fair to be this close to someone and not be able to act on it. We'd be perfect together…but it didn't matter anymore, did it? Sloane obviously wanted us together though. He got us a hotel room to share in London. We were after all married scientists, one room was expected. We wanted to be together too. I'm pretty sure that the natural order of things wanted it too. We seemed to work together really well…  
  
-Vaughn POV-  
I wrote on a napkin that she could trust me. She already knew that she could, but I think knowing it again calmed her nerves. She hated flying. She had told me that once. I found it ironic that she hated the very thing that she spent half her life doing. Her entire life was filled with things she hated…I previously could only grasp this to a miniscule extent because I wasn't there the entire time. When Devlin made me a double, he gave me a chance not just to protect Sydney, but to see what she has to put up with on a daily basis. Spending more time with Sydney wasn't necessarily a good thing, because I knew I'd fall deeper in love with her.   
After we arrived and were on our way to claim our bags, I decided to break the silence. "London is the same city as my favorite…" I said as Sydney interrupted me "Melt Away, right?" A big smile washed across her face. It was like she read my mind…we were on the same wavelength and it felt amazing.  
  
A/n: TBC 


	2. Looking into the face of Danger

a/n:: This is the second installment of "Danger will Follow" and life is about to get dangerous….hence the title…Enjoy….R&R   
  
DANGER WILL FOLLOW: PART TWO  
  
-Airplane-  
-Sydney POV-  
  
During the eternal plane ride I had drifted into a daydream where I had envisioned the aspects of the upcoming mission. SD-6 wanted us to steal files…files which Sloane claimed to already own. Supposedly, Sloane's possessions at the lab were being held in the storage room on the main level because of some 'red tape' as Sloane called it. There was minimum security. It was really only a key and a three digit key code that could thwart our mission. Sloane assigned Vaughn to perform the Recon. Which I was a little shocked by, because this was Vaughn's first mission with SD-6 and they were willing to risk him…I suppose it wasn't a difficult mission…so they figured he'd get some real training in at the same time.  
  
To my surprise my father informed me last night that the Muller device that I stole in Taipei last year was located at the same lab, when I mentioned to my father the irony of it. He told me that he had to pull some strings for that 'red tape'.   
  
The real mission, my counter mission was to infiltrate security by disabling the guards so that Vaughn could disable the security features such as cameras and power. As soon as the power shut off, I would be left in darkness and the fun would begin…  
  
Almost an hour ago when I had been thinking about the rest of my future mission, I was forced back into reality. Vaughn had brushed some hair out of my face and I woke up. "You were sleeping so peacefully that I didn't want to wake you up…." He murmured into my ear. "It's okay; I sleep even better after a mission…" He offered a weak smile and I noticed that there were only a few passengers who remained on the plane.  
  
-On the road-  
-Sydney POV-  
  
Vaughn and I dropped our luggage at the hotel. We checked in and walked the few blocks to the Balsame Lab, named after a not so famous scientist, who no one ever heard of.   
  
-Balsame Lab-  
-Sydney POV-  
  
We signed in at the main desk; my 'interview' was moments away. My alias on this mission was Mara Pierce and my husband was Max Pierce. Vaughn and I sat in the waiting room silently with a dozen other scientists who actually wanted to work in the decaying building. We sat together until an elderly graying man appeared called out "Dr. Pierce". I eyed Vaughn and nodded as I walked towards the gentleman and in my best, brightest and loudest voice said "It is an honor to meet you. I have always dreamt of working in a famous lab such as the Balsam-ic…" I enunciated my words very loudly and purposely mispronounced the name of the lab. I referred to it as the Balsamic lab, like the dressing; for whatever reason I found it to be entertaining. There was no real purpose for me to talk like this, but Sloane insisted that I appear over the top, so that I would appear extremely distracting and so no one would observe Vaughn's disappearing act. I could here him laughing through my earphone as he slinked away to the storage room.   
  
The elderly gentleman introduced himself as Rutherford Patterson. I again amused myself by writing a mental memo to tell Francie that I met a man named Rutherford Patterson, she had a thing with people with a first name that could be a last name. It was rather humorous after all.  
  
Rutherford; or Dr. Patterson as he instructed me to call him; demanded excellence. When he said excellence he pounded his fist onto his desk and I burst out into giggles. I could hear Vaughn telling me that I could begin my counter. So I composed myself, stood up abruptly and said, "Oh HEAVENS! I lost my precious EAR-ring!" I wanted so badly to fall back into the cushioned chair and laugh but somehow, through my worst acting experience ever, I stayed focused. Dr. Patterson was startled; "I'm sure it'll turn up…" he began in a serious but annoyed tone. I interjected in my loud Southern-drawl, "My husband bought me that DIA-MOND EAR-ring. It was PRICE-less!!!!"   
  
Finally Dr. Patterson called security and escorted me down there himself; he knocked on the security room's door and after it opened and we were let in I sprayed a sleeper spray into the two security guards eyes and also in the eyes of Dr. Patterson. They were out within seconds; their bodies fell to the concrete floor and I waited for Vaughn's single knock on the door.   
  
I let him in. he said "Great job… Good luck…and be careful Sydney." I smiled and gave him a quick hug. As our bodies embraced our lips met for the first time. For a brief moment I was frozen…melting in his eyes….craving for a deeper kiss but still slipping away onto cloud nine from this light kiss…. But eventually Vaughn pulled away.  
  
A big smile surfaced, he said playfully "don't you have a counter mission?" "As a matter of fact I do!" I said. He kissed my nose and said "There will be time for that later…" He winked. It felt good to do that. It felt good to be so close to him. I almost forgot about the mission before he reminded me.   
  
I walked out and pressed the down button on the nearby elevator control pad. The elevator opened. I got in, and the elevator began to descend. I grasped firmly onto the metal bar in the back as I heard Vaughn say "30 seconds till the power is out."  
  
The power faded and I was left in a dark, frozen cube with danger looming in the air. I opened my purse and pulled out a flashlight. I dropped my bag in the corner and popped out the panel at the bottom of the elevator. I popped on the flash light on and could see the service ladder below. I lowered myself down and grasped onto the rusted steel rods. I climbed down until I could go not further. There was about a ten foot gap from the bottom of the shaft and from where the ladder ended. I popped out the panel that was about a foot to my left with a swift kick. I radioed to Vaughn that I had reached my destination.  
  
Between Weiss and my father they had devised a counter which would stem from the room behind the panel I had just opened. I slid into the crawl space and saw the Muller device. It was rather odd that they'd leave such a valuable artifact so weakly hidden, but who am I to complain. It was stuffy and unbearable in there so I snatched the device quickly. I slid out and began climbing back up. Suddenly as I was climbing up the ladder, the elevator turned back on.  
  
What was going on? Vaughn knew not to shut back on the power until I radioed that I was safely inside the elevator on my way back to the main floor.  
  
This was for real. I was scared. I could hear the clanks and clings as the elevator descended.  
  
"VAUGHN!" I screamed. "I'm not back yet…VAUGHN….." I was frantic. I began to climb back down. Where could I go? What could I do? My only option was down…and down was a dismal abyss…  
  
There was no where I could go. Attempting to crawl back into the crawlspace would kill me because once the elevator blocked the little airflow entering the stifled room, I'd pass out. "VAUGHN" I tried again. 'Damn it' I thought. The radio line was dead and Vaughn had no way to reach me.  
  
The Elevator continued to descend; quickly and continuously. A few thoughts rushed to my head. If I let go of the ladder and tried to finagle my way back in, I might fall and….well I didn't have time to ponder my demise.  
  
I'm a take action type of girl, so I went with my plan, because if I allowed myself to jump to the bottom I might as well become a pancake. This had to be my best bet.  
  
I waited and at the exact second I needed to I let go of the ladder with my hands and grasped the bottom rim of the elevator cube. The Muller device rested safely in the 'ultra cool' fanny pack that I'd put on earlier to hold the device. I tried to push myself up using my feet for leverage.  
  
Somehow, between gravity pulling me one way and myself forcing my body the other, I missed. My hands didn't grasp the rim correctly. I tried to regain my footing but instead I fell about 15 feet into what could only be described of as oily tar pit and heard a distinct and clear CRACK as my right leg broke my fall. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry….I wanted to be anywhere but this dirty, dingy, ditch which I feared would become my shallow grave…  
  
My radio connection with Vaughn was long lost and I couldn't even move because of the immense pain that my right leg exuded…I was worse then stuck or trapped…..I was dead and with only seconds to left….I thought of Vaughn….  
  
A/n:: TBC---An update will be posted soon. 


	3. Damsel in Distress

Disclaimer: I don't own Alias, but I wish I did.  
  
A/n:: I hope this next chapter is everything you hoped it would be…Enjoy….R&R  
  
DANGER WILL FOLLOW: PART THREE  
Prologue:  
  
-Sydney POV-  
  
There I was crunched into a little ball seeing the little light above me being condensed into stifling, smothering darkness. My flashlight had been shattered and I could feel the steel and concrete wall which I was leaning against shaking under the pressure.  
  
Vaughn. Vaughn. Vaughn. My mind kept drifting off to him. His smile…His touch…His kiss...His heart. I couldn't bear for him to see me, dead or even severely marred and pained.  
  
As I was about to meet my shadowy, shallow death, a hand leaned down and the elevator froze. I recognized it as Vaughn's hand. Was I dead? Was this heaven? Was Vaughn g-d? No…This was my guardian angel saving me from peril…  
  
-Vaughn POV-  
  
When I noticed the elevator was on a generator I knew she'd be trapped…so I ran down two flights of stairs and found the service door to the elevator shaft. I jumped on top of the elevator, popped the panel, jumped inside. I clicked the stop button two seconds before she would have been an IHOP special. I'm lucky my timing was accurate…  
  
PART THREE: DAMSEL IN DISTRESS  
  
-SYDNEY POV-  
  
It was minutes later; Vaughn had saved me once again. He hugged me as soon as I was out of the pit and apologized. "Sydney, I had no idea the elevator was on a generator. As soon as I realized I came to…" he said. I interjected. "Shh…." I whispered. As we hugged I said, "I'm okay. I'm just not used to playing the part of the damsel in distress."   
  
"I guess that would make me Prince Charming since I came to the rescue." He said as he grinned. "Now….How are we going to get out of here?" I asked in a serious tone.   
  
Vaughn and I thought about an escape route. We couldn't go through the main level and I wasn't well enough to run or jump. Our plan was to crawl through the air vents that were located throughout the building. We planned to reach the roof and climb rip glide to a back alley way. Then we'd go to the hotel.   
  
-Vaughn POV-  
  
So after her romp with death I reached down and help her up. I knew we needed to escape because by then the guards were awake and we were almost exposed so.... I helped her crawl through the air ducts. We slithered through and got out and I pulled out rip cords. We soared to the ground and I caught her. We slipped back into our hotel room. No one was the wiser…but I can tell she is hurt. Physical pain hurting her, this time…not emotional angst. I'm sure she'll be alright, but I hate to see her in pain.  
  
-Sydney POV-  
  
I was somehow able to handle the crawling and was somehow able to manage with one leg bearing all my weight. As soon as I descended to the ground, I was captured in Vaughn's arms. He carried me back to the hotel. I took off my blonde wig, which I couldn't imagine being salvaged.  
  
Vaughn helped me take off my boots and he examined my ankle. "It's badly sprained or mildly broken" his lack of medical field experience couldn't allow him to be more specific.  
  
"You need to have this checked out by a doctor, Syd". He concluded. His eyes were filled with concern. "I'll go when we get back to Los Angeles" I said. Offering a reassuring smile, so he wouldn't press the issue… I hated having to see doctors. I seemed to hate a lot of things these days.  
  
He noticed my tattered appearance and motioned to the bathroom. "Maybe a bath would help" he said. "Sure" I said as I tried to control the uncertainty raging through my mind. What was happening to me…? I never let anyone take care of me. No matter how bad the pain had ever been I had learned to be strong from myself. Now here I was acting weak and strangely loving it…  
  
Vaughn drew me a bath and carried me into the bathroom. "Call me if you need anything" he said, as he left my suitcase on the floor next to the chair I was seated in. He proceeded to walk out and close the door.   
  
The bath he had drawn me, smelled wonderful. After all the tar and oil had disintegrated and been engulfed by the scented water, I put on my favorite pair of pjs and limped over to the canopy bed. I laid next to the sleeping Vaughn. It was as close to him that I could be with a possibly broken ankle…and a job in the world of international espionage…  
  
a/n:: I have chapter four down on paper. All I need to do is type it out. Please R&R. I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. I'll update soon. 


	4. Take Care of me

Disclaimer: I don't own Alias, but I wish I did.  
  
A/n:: Enjoy….R&R  
  
DANGER WILL FOLLOW: PART FOUR  
  
Prologue:   
  
-Sydney POV-  
  
Last night had been nice. I felt safe wrapped up in his arms and though we didn't connect in the way we both longed for, we connected on another emotion level. Our departure was set for 7AM and last night Vaughn had set the alarm…  
  
PART FOUR: "Take Care of Me"  
  
-Sydney POV-  
  
There I was; lying on a tropical beach somewhere with Vaughn. We were watching an enchanting sun set. I have no idea where this perfect utopia existed in the world, my mind had created it. Vaughn and I lay entangled on a beach blanket and if my dream progressed I would have been thrilled. Not that a sunset wasn't a good dream. Anything that couldn't be misconstrued as a nightmare was fine by me…  
  
I drifted back to reality after my lazy, long sleep, I heard beeping; incessant, annoying, poignant beeps. I wanted to find the source of the irritating, high pitched, short shrieks and destroy it!  
  
I tried to reach over to knock off the alarm, but I seemed to forget where I was and hit Vaughn.  
  
The beeping obviously didn't cease until he hit the alarm and groaned in pain from my swift hit to his abdomen. He obviously was a heavy sleeper and wasn't awakened by the alarm. 'Good to know', I thought. Because of me, he was waking up not in the best of ways. I was already up and fully alert to what I had just done. I grumbled sleepily "I thought you were the alarm…"   
  
"I'm glad I'm not" he mumbled. I could almost hear a smile forming on his face through his voice. My eyes were still closed as the beautiful utopia in my mind began to fade. Eventually after enjoying the feeling of being wrapped in each others embrace, my eyes opened and I could see the sun rising.  
  
"We have to get out of here" I said. Neither of us moved. He leaned in and let his lips graze my lower cheek. "Our plane leaves soon" I continued. We proceeded to kiss…despite morning breath. We didn't know when our next chance would be and we didn't want to lose the moment. Eventually we allowed ourselves to part and Vaughn asked, "Are you going to be able to walk?"  
  
His lips danced upon my forehead as he asked the question, I didn't have an immediate answer to. "I'll survive" I answered. "That's not what I asked…" he said playfully. Our lips met once more and through our lips connection, it was mutually decided that he'd help me walk.   
  
Before we left the hotel room, we gathered our belongings, changed into suitable clothes and made our way to a cab outside the hotel. I limped and leaned onto Vaughn for support. He saved me several times from falling flat on my face.   
  
Hours later, after another eternal plane ride, Vaughn and I got off the plane at LAX. Vaughn made a brush pass with Weiss. He gave him the real Muller device and later a falsified doppelganger would be created for the Khasinau exchange scheduled to occur in a few days.  
  
As we left the airport, a car was waiting for us. Not only to deliver Sloane's files to SD-6's had headquarters, but it served as our ride back for our debriefing with Sloane.  
  
As the car pulled out of the airport lot and onto the freeway, Vaughn said in a professional voice, "I think you should call Sloane and let him know I'm taking you to the hospital for your ankle."  
  
I nodded my head and he continued. "I'd hate to see you out of commission for longer then you'd have to be."   
  
I called Sloane and explained to him that I had tripped over a chair on my way to the security room to shadow Vaughn and disable security. Sloane seemed to buy it. He was thrilled that Vaughn had offered to escort me to the hospital. He suggested a visit a local 'SD-6 hospital' and told me he'd be in contact. The driver dropped us off at the hospital and Vaughn left the briefcase filled with Sloane's files with the driver. Of course, Vaughn had previously made photographs of the pages and had given those to Weiss too during the brush pass  
  
He escorted me into the hospital via a wheelchair and stayed with me until the doctors came back with the x-ray results.   
  
"We have your results Ms. Bristow" the doctor said. "I need to ask if you are able to perhaps have a friend stay with you." He motioned to Vaughn. I said "I have a roommate…" That was lie…Francie was in San Francisco for the weekend and Will was…kidnapped.   
  
The doctor proceeded to explain that my ankle was indeed broken…which screwed up my plans for the Khasinau exchange…  
  
I asked if he could wrap it up somehow so that I could go on with normalcy. The doctor claimed that my staying off my two feet for a few days was the best method to a speedy recovery. Well, I don't care if that doctor graduated from the top of his class at Harvard, there was no way in hell I could lie around for a few days, while Will's fate lingered in the process. I nodded my head. Uttered a meaningless "uh-huh" and "I understand" and signed my release forms.  
  
After we left the hospital and were waiting for a cab. Vaughn said professionally, "You lied." I flinched…what was he doing? I didn't realize he was putting on this little show for Sloane and his surveillance equipment.  
  
After I got over the fact that this was broad daylight and Vaughn was talking candidly to me…I dryly responded, "What do you mean?"  
  
"Yesterday, you mentioned that your roommate was out of town. Who is going to take care of you?" he said. I could almost giggle at this. The show he was putting on was for the purpose of getting Sloane's permission; his permission to give Vaughn clearance to take care of me. It was sweet.  
  
"I hadn't thought of that….i guess it slipped my mind…." I mumbled. I grinned and Vaughn smiled back at me. We both knew Sloane would be calling soon to encourage Vaughn to take care of me. Life couldn't get much sweeter then spending every waking moment with him….  
  
a/n :: well that was chapter 4! Please R+R. I hope to update soon. 


	5. Issues

Author's note: as I was driving to the mall this morning, an interesting thought popped into my head- Sydney has car issues. Not car trouble….but trouble keeping cars around long enough to enjoy them. So I vowed to come home and type this for your amusement…enjoy….R&R  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Alias!  
  
Part Five: Issues  
  
-SYDNEY POV-  
  
Cars have always been insignificant to me. I've driven them, and crashed them. I've broken into them and I've hit them. I see them, as steely compact boxes of pollution. Though I could care less about owing a car, let alone using one; it has always been a job requirement and a burden.  
  
I mean, whenever you go…. Anywhere, you need to make sure you have gas and then keys and your license….or in most of my cases- solely gas. Driver's licenses and keys mean nothing to SD-6. They aren't optional per say, but more like avoidable issues. There are always ways to deal without them. Lock picking devices help, and in worst case scenarios swift blows to car windows work just as well as keys ever could…You'd be surprised how easily a drop kick or a strike to the face constitutes a driver's license.   
  
I think I realized that I had car issues when I knew less about types of cars and more about how to lie to my friends about why I received another new car. One of my favorite lines had been, "I suppose I can't pretend to be a successful banker without a sophisticated car"; car after car, lie after lie followed. I got sick of lying and Francie and Will got sick of asking.   
  
Whenever I brought a new car home, they'd roll their eyes and shake their heads. They probably thought that I loved the new car smell, or that I had nothing better to do, then spend my free time at car dealerships. I wish I could complain and explain about how I've never been attached to a car because they end up dead. Dead….did I just personify an inanimate object?  
  
My cars have had the life expectancy of ….well of ….well they tend to reach the junkyard as soon as they leave the dealers' lot. There was the CIA car which I plummeted into the Pacific Ocean in my pursuit to escape the prophecy. There was my red truck which was shot multiple times on my way from dodging bullets and an untimely death because Sloane considered me a traitor. There were many other cars that 'died' in countless other painful ways. Crashed…..burned….etc…  
  
But this last wreck hit me the hardest. It wasn't a wreck actually involving a car. It was more of an emotional train wreck. One which I had hoped we could and would avoid but….somehow things had caught up with me. They always seemed to do that at the worst possible moments.  
  
My romantic weekend was spoiled. It was supposed to be just Vaughn and me and lots of recuperation. Francie was supposed to be away. It was supposed to be a time for planning and preparing for Will's rescue-not lying and hindering the not so blatant truth.  
  
It obviously wasn't going to work out. Though Vaughn and I had been enjoying ourselves as much as we could, our conversation halted as we neared home. We had left the hospital and had been talking candidly in the car. My car…  
  
It wasn't a new car….it wasn't as expensive as the others or as trendy….it was functional and I bought it as opposed to SD-6. It wasn't SD-6 nor CIA sanctioned. It wasn't anything like the cars I had previously owned. It was different. It was better….that had to do a lot with who was driving it. Vaughn had offered to take my car back and forth after the SD-6 call. Sloane had played along, telling Vaughn he should aide me and keep me comfortable. I had almost seized in a giggle fit as Vaughn retold the story. If only Sloane knew that by throwing us together he was offering us an easier opportunity to take him and his evil agency down.  
  
As he was driving us home, he turned left at the corner of my street and I saw a police car. My heart raced. He pulled up slowly in my ford escort. It was cherry red, compact, but practical.  
  
As he pulled up, I saw Francie talking to some police officers. I prayed we had been robbed. I prayed there had some other valid reason for the police to be here But I knew why they were here. Will's whereabouts….  
  
"Sydney" Francie called as I limped out of the car. She suspiciously eyed Vaughn. She ran up to hug me and she looked at me as if she was about to cry. "What happened?" we both blurted out at the same time. Vaughn stood a few feet behind and I introduced him. "Francie….This is Michael Vaughn…..he works with me at the bank….We went to Denver together for the bank and While we were there I tripped and hurt my ankle….so he drove me home…" Vaughn nodded and Francie looked skeptical. "I thought you went to New York…."   
  
Had I said New York? I couldn't remember. The lies tended to blur when I was under pressure or immense pain. "Well the conference was in New York, but the bank sent us on a merger talk in Denver instead…." Vaughn piped in. I wanted to hug him. He saved me once again. Francie seemed satisfied and she answered my question even though I knew the answer.  
  
"I skipped my trip because…..Oh Syd! I've been worried about Will…He hasn't answered my calls…he hasn't gone to work….he's…I think he needs help….so I called the police." She said as tears streamed from her eyes. I could tell that she was scared and confused and so I tried to qualm her fears. "  
After explaining that he'd been in contact with me and that he was safe but undercover for a story that he hid from everyone….the cops left. Francie didn't seem satisfied but the tears ceased. Vaughn tried to catch my eye. He felt out of place and we both realized our weekend together was shot. Destroyed…like the cars that hadn't meant anything….but our relationship did mean something…. It was honest and pure…it was one of the few things I found pleasure in….  
  
He said, "Sydney….I should get going. I'll come by tomorrow to see how you're feeling. It was nice to meet you Francie." He bit his lip after he uttered the truth. I nodded as I relinquished my strength as I crumbled onto the couch. Somewhere during the cops and lies, we had moved inside.  
  
"Sure. Thanks again…MICHAEL…." I stressed his first name. I didn't need Sloane or anyone else questioning one of my idiosyncrasies. He'd always be Vaughn to me…but others might question it. Trying to read something into it; something that I worked to conceal. He smiled and placed a friendly kiss upon my forehead and walked out. He took my car. The fact that he used my car meant it was never going to be allowed to be crashed….If I had a scrapbook, I'd glue the car in….  
  
After Vaughn left, Francie questioned me. Not on Will's disappearing act but instead on Vaughn. "How long have you known him?" she asked. "About a year" I responded. "Is he available?" she asked. "Fran…." I began but knew better then to answer. "I'm really tired can we talk about him later….?" I finally asked.  
  
She nodded her head and escorted me to my bedroom. Tomorrow would be a new day and though Vaughn wasn't spending the weekend…We'd rendezvous tomorrow and plan our mission. We'd succeed; I was sure and as I drifted into the land of dreamy sleep….I could see us planning a wedding. I was getting ahead of myself but I was deliriously tired, scared and lonely. I needed to dream because If I didn't I feared I would remember reality and become a wreck; a wreck like the destroyed cars that had been broken and bent. I've known that I had car issues for awhile but as the morning came I'd learn how severe the other issues were. The issues were building up and soon enough they'd explode. I couldn't wait.  
  
TBC 


	6. A PLAN TO COMBAT “THE MAN”

Author's note:: I'm sorry if I don't complete chapters fast enough. I try, but somehow there are never enough hours in the day. I hope to appease u with chapter 6 and keep reading and reviewing….it makes bad days better!  
  
PART SIX: A PLAN TO COMBAT "THE MAN"  
  
-Sydney POV-  
  
Vaughn had left for the night, Francie had tucked me in but my mind wasn't tired. My ankle hurt like hell but my brain didn't want to relax. Instead I started pondering possible plans for the exchange. How could Vaughn and I avoid SD-6? Easy question; Easier answer….We could lie to Sloane; both of us could ask to be recused from active duty for this weekend. We could feign a flight to Paris and actually go to Taipei….  
  
Before my mind could continue pondering the mission…I drifted into a sleep that my brain cultivated. A sleep encrusted with marvelous visions of Vaughn and I celebrating our future victory. I envisioned his lips brushing against my cheek and as soon as the peril had ceased completely I imagined an honest embrace with an interesting future awaiting us.  
  
The next thing I knew someone was shaking my shoulder and quietly begging me to wake up. It had to be Francie, I thought. Eventually as my eyes opened, I saw that darkness still loomed outside. "Francie?" I mumbled. But it wasn't Francie. The darkened stranger was Vaughn. He gently placed his finger on my lips, silently portraying that silence was necessary. He motioned to the window, I suppose he wanted to talk…I don't know if I was flattered that he broke into my house or a little scared that I was rubbing off on him.  
  
As I climbed out of bed Vaughn scooped me up in his strong, endearing arms and whisked me off to the awaiting car, my car. This couldn't be a dream. This felt like the reality I craved.   
  
After he escorted me into my car, he started the engine and drove to the pier. "Where are we…?" I started, he continued to motion that silence was still in order. Though this was reality, it was kind of twisted. I don't mind being kidnapped by the man of my dreams but I do mind not knowing why. Eventually he turned off the car. We sat in silence for a moment. I wasn't sure if I should try to ask again.  
  
"Vaughn?" I began again. "Sydney, I need to tell you some stuff before we….we get any closer…." He said. I didn't like the sound of his voice. The words sounded rehearsed and yet at the same time they sounded sloppy and out of place. "You can tell me anything" I declared in a quiet sleepy voice. He weakly smiled and nodded.  
  
"Sydney, we are connected. I mean our parents….ok….we are close, right? I need to….I can't live another day like this." He started. "Like what?" I interrupted. I darted my eyes away from his, his hand clasped on top of mine and he tried to regain his slipping composure  
  
I looked down at noticed I was still clad in pajamas. I was wearing my polar bear flannel pants and a skimpy blue tank top. Vaughn seemed too preoccupied to notice that though. Something must have been really bothering him…  
  
His hands fumbled with a small black box, a smile was forming on his face….he said, "Sydney, my life changed when you came into the CIA building. When you wanted to take down SD-6, I was on your side. I risked my life for you and have saved you a few times too. Mission after Mission, we have grown closer and it's hard for me to say this, but you mean the world to me….Will you marry me?" He leaned in to kiss me and his voice trailed off and I woke up to see Francie shaking my arm gently. I suppose it was a dream amidst a dream.  
  
"Sydney? Are you alright?" she began. I rolled over and saw the alarm clock. 8AM? It was 8AM and yet it felt like an eternity since last night. I missed Vaughn. I missed sleeping next to him. I missed his embrace and his strong yet gentle touch. Waking up to seeing my best friend was nice, but seeing Vaughn would have been marvelous.   
  
Francie helped me into the kitchen and she proceeded to feed me chocolate chip pancakes. She was evil like that. Trying to fatten me up…mumbling something about food helping my recovery… and yet all the meanwhile knowing that I couldn't resist the buttery, chocolate encrusted, yummy delights. As I ate, I knew I'd regret it, not because I was worried about being obese, but because being filled with Francie's pancakes made me less agile. Agility was something I would desperate need this weekend. I was sure of that.  
  
Later after eating too many evil pancakes, Vaughn stopped by to return my car and to meet with me. Francie opened the door and from the living room couch I could hear her excitement as she greeted him. "Hey. Michael Vaughn, right? It's nice to meet you under better circumstances. It was SO great of you to take care of Sydney like that. Sydney's in the living room…." Her voice trailed off as he proceeded to walk in and stand in front of the couch. My head popped up from the book I was reading for my literature class on Wednesday. A smile warmed over both of our faces and as soon as Francie receded our lips met again.   
  
"Do you want to go grab lunch or something?" he said with a hint of something clandestine in his voice. Though I had already eaten, I agreed and I yelled to Francie that I was going out. She yelled back "have fun".  
  
Vaughn led me outside, and we hailed a cab to a local park. He guided me to a picnic blanket under a beautiful dogwood tree and opened a picnic basket filled not with food but with mission specs. "Vaughn, this is so sweet" I said as we sat next to one another.   
  
"Now that I finally have you alone, we can discuss this weekend." He said. I giggled slightly and focused all my energy at the task at hand. "So I was thinking that tomorrow when we go in for our debriefing that we both demand to be recused from active duty…." I said. "With the Khasinau exchange this weekend that should be difficult…." He began. "Not really", I said. "We tell Sloane that we are going away from the weekend. We have booked a flight already, we have reservations…he'll accept it, if we push it…this is what he wants…." I said insinuating that our relationship was Sloane's priority. "Spending the weekend together, hmm? Where are we going?" I asked. "Paris!" I said. We will appear as though we checked in to our hotel, but we'll connect to another flight going to Taipei. I have the plane tickets and passports. Our aliases are Elizabeth and Steven Palmer. Residents of New York City. We'll have to disguise ourselves for airport security… I'm wearing a blonde wig and as for you….glasses!" I said. I had not only thought this out, but had time to make the necessary reservations and whatnot.  
  
After about an hour in the sunny park, we had worked out the feasible plan without too many holes. We came back to my house to go out for dinner… 'A business dinner' is what we called it in front of Francie. I changed into a pale purple floral strapless dress and examined myself in the mirror. I grabbed a sheer wrap, not solely to combat the Los Angeles breeze but to also disguise a rather nasty bruise on my upper arm. I had received it in London from the elevator fall.  
  
We ate at a rather trendy restaurant where we had a chance to unwind and spend some time away from the wretched world of espionage. As soon we received the check, my pager went off. I opened my purse and sure enough it said "Sloane 911"  
  
Almost simultaneously, Vaughn's pager mimicked mine. We looked at one another and knew our plan would be executed early. We hailed a cab to Credit Dauphine. We entered the darkened high rise of deceit a few minutes later and met Slone in the conference room.  
  
After a brief introduction and no apology, he said, "We have received confirmation from previous intelligence that Khasinau is holding another meeting with a freelance group affiliated with the Rhaslak Jhiad. They infiltrated a previous mission in Denpassar and are rumored to have broken into the Balsame lab and stolen the Muller device that Sydney retrieved last fall. We need both of you to be prepped for …."   
  
I interrupted his monotone drone. "I need to be recused for his weekend…" I said and purposely looked sheepishly at Vaughn. I hoped Sloane would get the drift without the use of grave detail.   
  
"Sydney, THIS should be your priority…Michael" he said. It was obvious he had caught my drift and didn't approve. "I need to be inactive too" Vaughn said. I had no idea WHY Sloane was being so disagreeable. He should be fawning over this. He should be…he wants the Intel….we aren't priority right now I supposed.  
  
"Is there something you aren't telling me? Is something going on?" Sloane proceeded to poke. It was as if he enjoyed seeing us squirm. He probably did. He was a cold hearted bastard after all.  
  
"Michael, He caught us." I said. I tried very hard not to roll my eyes. "Michael and I have been spending a lot of time together and we have decided to go away together for the weekend…." My voice drifted. It was hard to see what Sloane was thinking. His face's emotional range had long washed away.  
  
Vaughn noticed that my attempts were not as successful as we had planned. He tried himself to influence Sloane. "We have made all the necessary arrangements. Plane reservations, hotel confirmation…" he said as he too noticed that we were obviously fighting a loosing battle. He tried for one last attempt but failed again. He laced his fingers around mine. He did so that Sloane would have to notice. We hoped our love for one another could melt his hardened heart and that he'd grant us the chance we desperately needed in order to succeed not only in saving one of my best friends, but also to take down his heinous agency.  
  
"I have no quandaries about you too spending more time together. You can spend future weekends together. I'll reimburse you for all your fares and your cooperation. SD-6 will front all your expenses on your future venture together. Paris will be there next weekend." He said. He made me want to vomit. He said the words but he didn't have the heart to do the right thing. SD-6 is a large agency as Vaughn had previously pointed out to me. There were many other agents who could do this type of mission, I'd obviously disable then, but still. Why did Sloane have such a fixation on me? I don't think I want to ever know the answer to that question though.  
  
"That's kind…" I mumbled. I was saying the words defeated and wavering. I hoped that in portraying a sense of misery maybe we could get a better deal. Obviously the money meant nothing to either of us. After all the best things in life are free….  
  
"Sydney! Don't play me for a fool!" Sloane's voice was sharp and cruel. Obviously he was feeling parental over me. He had once told me that he sees me like his daughter. Me….Satan's spawn! How putrid! Sloane was obviously irritated. I suppose my tactics were out of line. Though he was my superior, he should be revered…to his face. I needed him to trust me. I needed to portray myself as a willing confidant….not a mole.  
  
Vaughn cut in. He said "its okay, Sydney. We'll reschedule…." "All right" I mumbled. I was wondering all the while where exactly he was going with this. Sloane left us to DISCUSS the issues at hand. Discussing wasn't a factor. Sloane assumed that this was more of a cool down point. None of us could afford jumping down each others throats. There was too much at stake. On top of that- Time was of the very essence…  
  
After feigned allegiance to Sloane. Vaughn escorted me home. "What the hell was that" I hissed as the cab maneuvered its way around the streets of LA. "We can save Will, present the doppelganger device and appease Sloane. I'll explain tomorrow." He hissed back. Obviously his mind was developing a plan. I admired his keen senses. He was also cut out for the evil world of espionage. We parted after another encounter between our lips and knew that after the weekend's progression…things would change….Hopefully for the better!!!!!!  
  
Author's note:: Wow! That was a lot of typing! I'll try to update as soon as I can. The more reviews the merrier. They seem to make my homework and class work dissipate. I hope you enjoyed. Keep R& R ! Thanks!!! 


	7. Whatever Happens

PART 7: WHATEVER HAPPENS…  
  
  
The CIA's lab had analyzed the Muller device that we stole from London. They had also successfully mimicked it. They were sending it to the airport with Weiss. The plan Vaughn had formulated required us to visit a newsstand outside our terminal. Simultaneously, Weiss would be there flipping through TIME magazine. He'd have his duffle bag on the ground next to him. Vaughn would set his identical duffel next to its twin and during a 20 second surveillance jam they would switch. The surveillance jam was courtesy of my father. He gave me a watch right before we left Sloane's office. The watch's clasp acted as an activation key to the jam which extended to a 3 mile radius.   
  
After the clever swap, Vaughn would walk away with our CIA materials which included the fake Muller Device. No one would be able to detect the switch and it offered us the upper hand in this daring mission. Sadly though this would be the easiest aspect of our mission…  
  
After boarding the plane, we spoke briefly and accessed our laptops and pretended to check our email. We each received one falsified email sent from The CIA to our Credit Dauphine accounts. Mine appeared to be from Francie, it displayed the subject line "Sunday night Dinner?" Vaughn's email appeared to be from his Mother, the subject line read, "I miss you!"  
  
In accessing these emails from our work accounts we were enabling a new virus to pour through our networked SD-6 computers. By responding to the emails we were activating the start of a virus courtesy of Weiss and his buddies in Sci Tech. We didn't delete the emails because by leaving them in our inbox they would eventually be deleted by the   
SD-6 mainframe; which would help to spread the leak, and offer us a fighting chance to take down SD-6 one day.   
  
Unlike the previous leak this one Weiss assured us "would be undetectable, even to Marshall's trained eye"  
  
With this new facet of Vaughn's plan enacted we would not only being hopefully saving Will, and appeasing Sloane. We'd also be one step closing to destroying SD-6.  
  
It only took about 2 minutes to begin the leak but I relished in the fact that it could turn into the deluge that could ruin SD-6.   
  
After we completed the email aspect of our counter mission, we relaxed. We knew that within hours we'd be starting a difficult mission. One which would demand our full attention and physical strengths…  
  
We arrived in Taipei by Saturday morning. The exchange with Khasinau was set for 9pm that evening and Vaughn and I still had a lot of preparation to perform. Around noon we reached a circuit box that provided electricity to the alleyway that we'd met Khasinau in later.  
  
We cut the power lines and reconnected them with a CIA filter which looked like a small paperclip. The filter would block surveillance and disable bugs. This was a safety precaution because we didn't need to be surprised later.  
  
The device was rather brilliant in my opinion. The CIA tech guys must really be improving. This device was similar to something I could see Marshall proposing.   
  
My bandaged limp had been recovering rather well and I had been able to reduce my apparent limp and could walk rather well without Vaughn's assistance…but there was no need to decline his help. After all, it was the little things like his arm around me that kept me going through all the peril and pain.  
  
We went back to our hotel room that SD-6 had gotten us. There were two rooms this time. I'm sure Sloane thought that by getting two rooms that we'd focus.   
  
We scanned for bugs and when we were satisfied that we wouldn't compromise the sanctity of the CIA, we proceeded to review the plan. First Vaughn radioed Weiss to acknowledge our completion of the first two aspects of our counter mission.  
  
Then, Vaughn condensed the tactics and intense details into feasible simplistic prose. I tried very hard to concentrate on his words as opposed to his kissable soft lips. I knew that there was no time to daydream but somehow my mind gravitated to Vaughn.   
  
"Alright, we reaffixed the power lines so we have fried the circuitry of bugs and disabled the security surveillance systems." He said as he paced around my hotel room. Now things were about to get complicated.  
  
We rehearsed the plan so many times in the last twenty-four hours that I think I could recite it verbatim from memory. But practice makes perfect so as annoying as this repetition was, it was necessary.  
  
"So you'll go in as Marilyn Stern. You'll carry in this purse which is half of your lifeline." He made a vague gesture to the handbag that was perched upon my oak dresser. "If something goes awry, then you have three options. The glasses you'll be equipped with function not only as a protective goggle from smoke and other hazardous materials, but the glasses emit sleeper spray. Three rounds only though. Then, another option is your mace disguised as a lipstick tube. It holds enough to function successfully 5 times. And in the worst case scenario…there is a wallet with enough money to get you far enough away to…" I stood up and pressed my finger to his lips. "I know" I whispered. "It's just I want to make sure we are…" I again didn't let him finish. I removed my finger and interjected, "I'm scared too but whatever happens….I love you!" He smiled and our lips met. For a moment or possibly several, we forgot that in a few hours that we'd be on our way to attempt a risky feat. He pulled away from a moment. I smiled and knew that once again, business had to come before pleasure. Except usually business with Vaughn was pleasure. We separated and he proceeded to outline the plan.  
  
"I'll be outside the alley. After you grab Will, I'll wait 7 minutes for you to get a head start and then I'll proceed to activating the bomb." He said. "When Sloane hears of the explosion he'll be thrilled that we both escaped. He'll be convinced that the Muller device was destroyed and won't see that we sabotaged the mission." I said. Vaughn smiled and nodded. He knew that I knew what he was going to say next too.   
  
"If Will can not be rescued then we'll reconvene back here and we'll attempt a manual extraction…" I said. Vaughn continued, "I will NOT enable the bomb until you and he have successful reached the safe house." Then he said something new. "If….if they are lying about Will's well being… let them have the doppelganger and get out of there…I'm serious Syd…It's not worth the risk…"   
  
My eyes glazed over from his new comment. 'Did he think Will was dead?' I wondered. No, I needed to think positive. I couldn't assume the worst. Not now, nor ever. I'd just have to hope… and hope was a powerful thing.  
  
Before Vaughn had a chance to ask if I had any questions, I jokingly picked at what he said earlier. "You said I only have three options in case of danger…You forgot the most important one though…" Vaughn looked puzzled but easily understood what I was implying. "I didn't think I had to say that you could attack all the guards and everyone there…" I giggled a mirthless laugh. "I don't want you to forget. That's my biggest asset…" I looked embarrassed after I said the words though; Vaughn looked as though he wanted to express what my biggest asset was in his opinion, but knew now was not the time…   
  
I recovered from my thoughts that Vaughn doubted Will's well being and attempted to compose myself. We both gathered ourselves because the time was growing nearer… Vaughn and I parted in order to get ready for our upcoming mission.  
  
I smoothed my blonde wig and painted my face with an excess of dramatic make-up. My eyes looked so deeply set that when I glanced up into the mirror I barely recognized myself. I hoped Sark wouldn't either.  
  
Vaughn and I reconvened a little later and he was dressed in a sleek black suit. He was lucky; I on the other hand was clad in a dark burgundy pant suit with four inch heels. I would manage, but I longed to be comfortable on one mission….maybe one day. We reached our parting point about 3 blocks from the alley. The time was growing near and as Vaughn and I prepared to divide, we shared a few brief words.   
  
"Be careful" Vaughn requested. "I will" I said as we embraced. "Good luck…" he said. I could tell he was nervous. He was tense and looking paler then usual. "Whatever happens…" I said. I was attempting to repeat the same line that had qualmed his fears prior…he interjected though; "I love you too."  
  
  
Three simple words… (Well in this case there were four words)…gave me a determination to succeed. I had to succeed, I thought as I walked towards the alley way…if I failed….  
  
I let that thought fall upon deaf ears. I needed to be prepared to take on the world…or at least a significant part of it…  
  
A/n:: Part Eight is going to be exciting. I hope you enjoyed part 7 and that it helped you to understand Vaughn's plan. Keep reading and reviewing…thanks! 


	8. Predictable

Author's Note:: I'm really sorry I didn't update sooner. I have the next three chapters written but not typed. I've been having a really crazy week with homework and the fun of finals looming. Hopefully I can appease you by uploading this chapter during my spare time. Lol. Enjoy!  
  
Part Eight: Predictable  
  
-Vaughn POV-  
  
I glanced at my watch for the 5th time in 3 minutes. I was very nervous and apprehensive about this mission. It's one thing to prepare if you are planning on disabling a system or downloading files, but it's entirely different if you are dealing with people. They are unpredictable, and the risk is always heightened. I learned that in the dangerous world of espionage you can't predict even the seemingly predictable things.   
  
You think it's going to rain, you can feel it, even the channel four weatherman announces it…but lo and behold you were right not to trust it, because it's 90 degrees…bright and sunny. It's a weird world and it only gets weirder.   
  
Sydney was different though. She didn't belong here. She was an honest person. She had a heart and a conscious and maybe that made her stronger. But no matter how strong she was, I was still worried.  
  
She didn't have a death wish, but she just as well might have.   
  
She suffered great losses but always hung in there… I always knew her as a fighter. She never gave up, even when she learned the truth. She didn't take her father up on Switzerland. She easily could have gotten on her plane. Her safety would have been ensured, she would have gotten out…but she stayed because it was the right thing. If she had gone…we would never have met…Where would I be if I had never met her?   
  
Where was she? She should have been here by now.   
  
I glanced at my watch again. A minute had barely gone by. I paced around the safe house once again. It was a dusty dank cave they had the audacity to call a safe house…  
  
Sydney and I had parted nearly an hour ago and my mind was racing with thoughts of her arrival. She'd either return with Will or without him. She could return in perfect condition or bruised and battered. I prayed she would not be injured again. I prayed that she wouldn't have one new scratch upon her delicate pale skin. I prayed she'd ….get back here!  
  
Sometimes….all the time really, I wished she'd give it all up. This life filled with danger at every bend. Everywhere Sloane sent her Danger followed. It loomed in bushes and oozed from villains and crime lords. Danger was clear and very present. Sometimes it scared me.   
  
  
If she escaped the dangerous word that she was a slave to; then my greatest concern would not be if Sark was torturing her, it would be the traffic getting to her house.   
  
She'd never give it up though. Not until it was over. Even if she could leave without severe repercussions, it would be too little too late.   
  
Damage was already done.   
  
She had cried streams and wept rivers.   
  
So many times, she had to look at Sloane. She had to see the face of the man that ordered the senseless murder of someone she cared about. Someone she loved. She had to look at him and feign a hunger for his acceptance.   
  
I looked at my watch. 30 seconds. It had only been thirty seconds. I stomped over to the termite infested countertop that they considered a kitchen. I saw an empty soda bottle. I picked it up and gripped it. I threw it against the wall.   
  
As if that would make her come back any faster. I groaned. I gave up the infernal pacing and opted to sit on the slaughtered couch. There was nothing I could do. I could sit. I could wait. I could drive myself mad from my qualms and fears.   
  
Since we destroyed the capability of bugs for our safety, it also meant that putting a wire on Sydney would we meaningless. It was a small price to pay to ensure a different facet of her safety. Between her wig and make-up I could barely recognize her, I hoped that the same would go for Sark, or whoever was representing Khasinau at the meeting. Still, I worried. Sark wasn't trustworthy. If he claimed Will was alive, it could be a trap. I didn't even attempt to predict the millions of scenarios that a trap could involve. It would be worthless…  
  
I hated the fact she had gone in alone. A disguise and weapons were meaningless. This wasn't a typical reconnaissance mission. I knew Sydney well enough to know that she wouldn't leave unless Will was safe. She'd rescue him or die trying. She was a fighter but I feared she was out of her league. I glanced at my watch. I took it off my wrist and crumpled it into my hands. I opened my hand to see it had barely moved. Whoever said time flies fast was wrong. Perhaps that the fact that the phrase was really that 'time flies fast when you're having fun' not that "time flies fast' made a difference. It didn't see how that was relevant though.   
  
This was cruel. I sighed and fastened my watch back on my wrist. Sark had better be…well, he better be telling the truth. It had felt so good in Denpassar, when I slammed his smug face into the iron fence. It had felt so good, for a short time. Until I allowed SD-6 to get him and ….thus I'm here and she's there. He could and most likely would remember my face.   
  
Sydney assured me that she'd be cautious. She told be she'd stick to the plan. But it wasn't her I was worried about making a mistake or diverging from the plan- it was Sark! She told me not to worry. She made me promise. She knew I would though. I was predictable like that. Being her handler for a year forced me to worry. I had seen too many missions gone awry and too many close calls. I was "emotionally attached" …more than ever. We had finally gotten our chance and I was so terrified we'd lose it.  
  
I knew Sark was who she'd be meeting with. Khasinau would never risk himself. Sark was younger, stronger. Sark was his drone. Sark could pose as a threat. Sydney was strong. She was a one woman ass kicking machine…but with her ankle in distress…She could easily be caught off guard. She never gave up though. She could be six inches from death and end up the victor.  
  
Thoughts of her success started to invade my mind. I was sure she'd be back soon. She would be fine. Everything had to of gone okay. Just as I calmed myself down, I heard the pitter patter of feet upon the porch.   
  
My ears perked up and I could tell I could only hear one set of feet…they echoed a stronger step then Sydney's and just as my heart began to race hoping my rising suspicions were askew. Will entered. He entered bloody and beaten and alone.   
  
Without Sydney.   
  
Without her.   
  
I predicted moments prior that she'd come back. That she'd be safe and wrapped in my arms, I predicted and as sure as I was…as she was…we were wrong and the unpredictable had occurred. Something must have gone wrong…if only this was as unimportant as Rain in LA…but this was Sydney's life and my heart sank as I attempted to greet Will…  
  
Author's Note:: See Skye, I kept him Alive! I have Chapter nine ready to be typed. Please read and review. I know this chapter was uneventful but I thought a peek back into Vaughn's head would be a good place to work from. I hope I didn't bore anyone and if I did I promise ch 9 will be action packed!!! 


	9. this isn't what I needed'

~Author's note: thanks to everyone who reviewed, the last chapter was shorter but I plan to make up for it with chapter nine. Just a brief note this explains what happened to Syd and Will. Enjoy!~  
  
Part Nine:  
  
-Sydney POV-  
  
As I had drifted from Vaughn, I knew this was do or die.   
  
There was too much at stake; after all Will's life depended upon my success.   
  
As I cautiously slithered to the corner of one off the buildings that flanked the poorly lit, murky alley, I could faintly see Will. He was sitting on a crate, leaning over, obviously doubled over in pain; Wincing in pain and fear. I had to fight every last instinct NOT to run over to him and hug him.   
  
I wanted to protect him; I wanted to apologize because after all if I wasn't for me he wouldn't be facing this torture.   
  
I fought those urges thought. I gathered up the few drops of inner fortitude that I had left and attempted to confidently walked to the end of the alley way. I could see Sark staring smugly in my direction. Sark shifted his body so that I could see the sheen of his silver gun peeked out under his suit jacket. This was meant as an intimidation tactic, but I had been threatened by far worse then a piece of metal. Guns were something I avoided. They were heavy, unreliable, dangerous. They offer their owner a sense of power that I had nightmares about. I allowed the click and clacks of my 4 inch heels to freeze as I got in a 4 foot radius of Sark.  
  
Out of sheer fear of being caught off balance, I didn't allow myself to look over at Will. I kept in direct eye contact with my enemy.   
  
"Good evening, Miss Bristow." His slick voice said. His words echoed in my head but I didn't allow them to rattle me. He knew my name though. When he had called he had used my name, but seeing him face to face and hearing him say it was far worse. The Alias and disguise meant nothing. Part of the counter mission was to trick Sark into thinking I had sent someone else to do my busy work. No one wanted him to know my face or to have any knowledge of my faults. Everyone wanted him far away from me, and being this close to such a weasel only enhanced that feeling.  
  
The fact that Sark identified me posed deadly problems though. If Sark knew I was a double agent working against SD-6, he could reveal my identity to Sloane and that would offer him and Khasinau the change they were salivating for, the discovery of me as the mole would cause security and trust to be weakened. It would leave agency vulnerable and the lives of those who trusted me in danger.  
  
As soon as he noticed that his knowledge of my true identity didn't shake me and that my cool collected composure remained intact, he proceeded to try to rattle me by saying, "I especially enjoyed your performance in Paris. You have quite the singing voice…Perhaps after the 'transaction' you could grace me with another rendition…" His voice was filled with rancidness and suggestive comments.   
  
"Get one thing straight" I growled, "I'm here on Business. Not pleasure" I said, my voice filled with disgust. I had noticed he referred to our exchange as a transaction. He implied that Will could be bought and sold. "Let's Exchange our 'goods'" I said, I hated hearing my best friend being referred to goods and even worse for being responsible for calling him such. But To Sark, That's all people were; Things to be bought and sold, broken and bent. They were as replaceable as a tooth brush.  
  
I could hear Will's heavy breaths rumbling and echoing through the silenced alley way. He was in pain. I could hear it. I could sense it. I had to be strong, for him I thought. I needed to stay focused; I needed to do this for Will, because of Will…  
  
I rummaged through the purse that had rested under my arm. I silently nodded to Sark as I said, "I need to verify his condition" I was about to have him allow me to check Will out, during a short truce, while he would examine the seemly realistic doppelganger. I heard a gun cock though. It was coming from behind me and the smug look was quickly wiped off Sark's face. The gun was aimed at Sark and not myself which meant it was safe for me to turn around. I thought my father was the unknown assailant aiming this lethal weapon at my enemy, I was wrong.   
  
Dixon stood behind me. His face was hardened and Sark looked alarmed. A lump had formed in his throat and he had a suspicion he was done. I assumed Dixon realized that I was not his enemy. I could be trusted and that I was working for the good guys.   
  
Sark was obviously unprepared for this situation. His eyes grew cloudy as it was blatantly obvious that he was pondering how to get out of this conundrum.   
  
"Are you Okay, Syd" His strong voice said. I offered a weak smile and said "He kidnapped Will…" I was about to say that the situation was under control but Dixon's eyes darted from Sark to Will. In that spilt second, Sark removed his own gun from his holster and before I could yell to Dixon, bullets ricocheted. Sark's aim sucked. One bullet. Two bullets. Three. Four. The fourth one hit. Dixon was down.  
  
As soon as I could respond I grasped Dixon's Gun from the pool of blood forming around him. I cocked the piece of lethal metal that I loathed and fired it at Sark.   
  
I caught him off guard and my first bullet sent him to the ground. It hit him directly in his chest. Will was breathing harder out of terror and fear.   
  
I crotched down next to Dixon as soon as I was sure that Sark was secured. Dixon looked up from me and said "Go! And Get Will outta here, an extraction team will come…" He offered a smile.  
  
I would have hugged him but refrained from doing so because I was afraid to add to his injury. His left shoulder had taken the hit and though I was sure he'd make it, I was taken aback by the entire scenario that had just played before my eyes. I offered Dixon a small kiss upon his brow and he motioned to me to deal with Will.   
  
Will was already standing up and offered him a hug. "Thank you" he mumbled. He accepted my embrace and I handed him the wallet Vaughn had given me. "You need to go. There is a CIA safe house about a mile west. Take a cab to this address." I said as I motioned to a business card of a building about two doors down. "The place is right there." I motioned for him to go. He was frozen. Unresponsive. All I could think was 'This is all I needed'  
  
I did just about everything other then pushing him away.   
  
Finally he hoarsely said, "No. I'm not leaving you."  
  
As the tension mounted between us I assured Will I would be along. I could hear Dixon calling for an extraction team and offering a lame story about Sark and himself not seeing the Rhaslak Jhiad affiliate. It was an obvious set up from Sark. This was how Dixon portrayed it and Sloane would easily believe it, because it was his worst nightmare.  
  
He prided himself on having valid information. The fact that Sark may have played his agency would cause much distress and turmoil.  
  
I motioned for Will to leave again and finally he accepted the wallet and slithered away.   
  
I could only imagine the things that Will would convey to Vaughn. He'd be worried no doubt. I was worried myself. I heard a soft Groan coming from Sark and I walked over and plummeted my heel into his chest. I bent down as I removed the heel. "Bastard" I yelled and I slugged him in his chin…  
  
He was moaning in agony, but I didn't care. This was the man who threatened me; who injured two of my best friends. This was a man who…I didn't even justify my action s any longer. I beat him senseless. I punched him For Danny. I hit him for Will. I slapped him for the estranged relationship between my father and myself…I stood up and continuously kicked him until I realized his body had long gone lifeless. I reached down to retrieve my fallen purse and my hands were coated in his blood.  
  
The blood brought back bad memories.   
  
I could sense Dixon's extraction and I fled.  
  
I ended up in the strangest place I could imagine. I forced myself to enter a local McDonalds®. I ran into the bathroom. I locked the door. I didn't care what the patrons thought as they saw me entering. All I cared about was breaking down, cleaning up and finding Vaughn. I needed to salvage the little I had. I needed to stay calm.  
  
*Author's note:: I have chapter 10 and 11 written down. I really hope you enjoyed Chapter 9 and that it offered you insight into what had happened with Sark. Please continue to read and review… Thanx!* 


	10. A SEA OF CRUSTY LIFE

Author's note: It's been about a month. A month where I haven't added a chapter. I could blame ff.net for being down but that's not the reason I didn't write more. I decided to focus on RARA AVIS…but I faithfully came back. I hope that this is a great as the other chapters. I wrote it originally in school on my legal pad…but I typed it up 2day. Anyways…I hope you enjoy! R/R ~e  
  
Part 10: A SEA OF CRUSTY LIFE  
  
I looked into the mirror, it was cloudy and of poor quality. It was distorted but I could still see the years of pain that had embedded themselves in black circles that surrounded my eyes. I pulled away from my stance at the mirror and collapsed in the corner of the nauseating green titled bathroom.  
  
I closed my eyes and tried to compose myself but it was no use because I was choking; I was choking on my own air…my own breath…I was trying to breathe, but I couldn't. The air supply must have been cut off from my brain. All I could see was blood. I could smell blood and greasy French fries. The stifling smell of blood penetrated my logic… it invaded my senses and there was nothing I could do…  
  
Glistening  
  
Damp  
  
Sticky, creamy, coagulating  
  
Blood,  
  
Dancing upon my hands.  
  
It was dripping in a sea of crusty life.  
  
The red caked and baked my hands.  
  
They had turned brown and crimson, so I stood up and washed my hands. I washed them for what seemed like an eternity but the blood remained. I didn't know if the blood was still there in reality…. Or if it had been Will's, or Dixon's. Maybe it was Sark's…  
  
So much blood had trickled over my hands in the last year. It had been a year that was over flown with a tacky deluge of misery. So much Pain and loss had infiltrated my life. I finally stopped scrubbing though…  
  
My hands had turned raw and ravaged from the scrubbing. The extreme exfoliation which I had just endured didn't help my emotional anguish. So I attempted to dry my hands with the paper towels that were stuffed into the metal container that rested next to the sink. They were coarse, thin cardboard sheets that did nothing to dehydrate my hands. I threw the crinkled towels into the rusty trash can and leaned back against the bathroom door. I composed myself and walked out. I began to walk towards the safe house but I found my mind drifting back to the haunting images of blood. All I wanted was to envision something good… Something happy….  
  
TBC 


	11. It's been a long night

Disclaimer:: Alias is not mine, though I find it hard for that to come as a big surprise. This quote is mine though: 'Pain shocks time and everything becomes a senseless rhyme…'   
  
^ Author's note: ^---When I originally posted chapter/ installment 11 I thought in my sleep deprivation it was a fitting end. After all there were words and periods and even references to past occurrences. What I forgot was that I can not think straight when I lack sleep and Thus I revised, reworked and redid chapter 11. I decided also to create future chapters to create a smoother transition to The end…I decided even though Danger will follow was meant to be a short meaningless piece of fiction, it deserved an ending worthy of its readers… Thank you for bearing with me. (You haven't gotten rid of me yet)  
  
PART 11: It's been a long night…  
  
  
-Sydney POV-  
  
I walked on weak knees.   
  
I limped. I forced myself to focus on reaching the safe house.  
  
I forced myself to stay sane enough to make it there in one piece.  
  
I was broken and bent.   
  
Bloody and tired.  
  
But technically in one piece. Despite my broken ankle.  
  
I reached the safe house with no bearing on how long it took me. Through thin gauze curtains I could see the silhouette of Vaughn. I caught my breath and grasped onto the rotting, water damaged banister that accompanied the broken staircase.   
  
It crumbled under my weight and I cried out in pain.   
  
The sound of a wounded animal was emitted through my chapped lips.   
  
I managed to land on the porch. I felt the dried wood scrap my battered skin and I began to cry once more. 7 years and I barely broke down.   
  
I hardly cried tears.   
  
More or less my body had cried.  
  
There were tears though. Mostly In the last year.  
  
There was a river of tears for Danny.  
  
A stream for Badenweiler.  
  
A tear here…one there. But I broke.   
  
I fell apart and I curled up. I crawled to the door.  
  
I forgot to care that I looked like crap ran over 47 times.  
  
I forgot that I was supposed to appear in control, even when all I wanted to do was break down.   
  
I crawled to the door. I used the ounce of strength and tried to reach the door knob. No success.  
  
Vaughn must have heard my feeble attempt at a grand entrance and his head peered at me through the thin screen door.   
  
It took him a moment to understand. To take it all in. I was alright. I was alive. I bet he pegged me for dead.  
  
I bet his heart had long sunk.   
  
I bet Will's version of the events that transpired scared him.   
  
He was catatonic for another moment.   
  
Looking at me.  
  
Seeing me.  
  
Seeing me maybe for the first time.  
  
No make-up. No hairspray. No composure. Nothing like the level headed Sydney he loved. Nothing like the girl that I had appeared.   
  
He was delayed in my rescue. He stared…maybe in disbelief. Maybe in admiration of what I would do for those in my life.   
  
"I'm Okay" I almost blurt out. I stared back up at him and he stared at me. It was an eerie moment. It lasted until it didn't.  
  
Something hit him. He opened the screen door and scooped me up. He gently carried me to the decrepit couch sat next to me. The broken me. The used, washed up, carbon copy, shell of a life known as Sydney.   
  
"Sydney…" he began. I placed my finger against his lips. I wanted to stay in this non existent quasi surreal moment and not return to harsh reality. The brutal truth filled experience in the realm of deceit was what I'd be dragged back into… he tried again…persistence…  
  
His voice was hoarse. Scratchy even. "Will…" he began. I didn't know if it was the beginning of a question or an explanation to where my friend was. I guess couldn't hide from reality and responsibility much longer. I allowed myself to focus and respond.  
  
"Is Will…?" I began. Neither of us was listening very much to the other. Shock. 'Pain shocks time and everything becomes a senseless rhyme…' I heard that before. Somewhere. Maybe in a nursery rhyme. Maybe in a poem book. Maybe in lit class.  
  
Maybe in Taipei.  
  
Maybe in Paris.  
  
Somewhere it had been said or written.   
  
Somewhere.  
  
Somewhere over the rainbow perhaps. Some far off place where my brain was leading me.  
  
Finally Vaughn continued. "He's okay. The extraction team…" His voice trailed off…or at least I couldn't hear him anymore, though his lips continued to move. I could read his lips but my eyes and ears refused to focus on using a honed spy skill.   
  
Paying attention was something that only increased in difficulty when I was distracted. "Can we do this later?" I interrupted. "Yeah. Sure…I can fill you in later when you're up to it." He took a big breath and asked "How are you…?"   
  
"Okay" I said as I gently nodded my head for enhancement of the lie…I wasn't okay then…I wasn't ok now…I was better…better wasn't ok…  
  
"What happened…" he asked. I couldn't form the sentences.  
  
I couldn't find the words to say that I saw Dixon get shot.   
  
I couldn't explain how I cracked and slaughtered Sark.  
  
I couldn't fathom how to explain the pain that was brought back and I couldn't very well describe my breakdown in the bathroom of McDonalds.  
  
"Want to talk about it?" He asked.   
  
Silence.  
  
Sometimes words are my greatest enemy. After all, I find it hard to link them together and explain myself at times. And at that time, I found it harder to accept that this was my life, and this was what it's come to.   
  
I said nothing. I didn't move. I didn't twirl my hair as I sometimes do when I get flustered. I didn't even look up. Vaughn gently pushed a strand of my hair away from my face. He weakly smiled and murmured "It's been a long night…"  
  
  
  
TBC 


	12. 1:16 PM

Author's note: This is a flash forward…not a flash back.   
  
1:15:54 PM. I looked at the clock on the wall just to make sure that my watch wasn't a fraction of a second off…because I didn't want to believe that it was almost 1:16 PM on a Tuesday afternoon. I'd been in the dimly lit conference room for 2 hours at that point.   
  
Tuesday is my favorite day of the week. I suppose because I've never had a scheduled class on a Tuesday. With my luck that also meant that it was a completely spy-free day. I usually got a chance to catch up on the three R's : recuperate, relax and reacquaint myself with school work. Tuesday has to be the most looked over day of the week, after all most people don't go around saying "It's almost Tuesday…WooHoo" without a good reason.   
  
I had a great day planned too. But as per usual my plan went down the toilet before 7 AM. I had gotten back from my latest mission on yesterday afternoon. I had been debriefed. I had handed in the surveillance photos and account numbers that I had nearly killed myself getting and I finally thought I'd get a well needed break nestled between difficult missions, studying and attempting to profusely apologize for missing Francie's birthday. I suppose I should have known better.  
  
Groggily I had woken up to blaring sound of incessant beeps. I figured I had set the alarm on my alarm clock so tried to click the off button with my eyes still closed. It was a Tuesday morning after all…There was no need to waste the morning being awake. Nevertheless the beeping persisted and a grave feeling of terror invaded my sleep-deprived mind and I forced my tired eyes open and saw my gray pager displaying 'Sloane 911" If only I could have claimed not to have heard it, not to have seen it…then I wouldn't have had to get dressed in a drab black constricting suit. My comfortable gray yoga pants from old navy and my camisole wouldn't be considered good work attire.  
  
So I got dressed. I wore gray. It was a silent rebellion against the dress code that was implemented for no reason. Whoever said to be clandestine that you needed black sunglasses and a basic black suit? I've worn less for the job…and even putrid tawdry rags in a variety of rainbow colors…  
  
But for some apparent reason black was expected when I had to go to work.   
  
Credit Dauphine opens at 10 AM on Tuesday mornings. I guess I never realized because I waltzed in around 8 AM…I had high hopes that my day could be salvaged. I was wrong once more. The door entering the bank was locked. I could have picked it but it might have looked a tad bit inappropriate on so many levels.  
  
I chose to click on the tiny red button "call for assistance". No answer. If I had taken my car to work I could have gone in through the underground parking deck as I had so many times prior, but I had been flustered due to the fact that it was a Tuesday morning and that my car was being repaired. I eventually sat on the concrete bench outside the parking garage for about two hours until I saw my father pull up to the security gate. He let me in and offered me a nice Father-daughter moment. "Sloane wanted you here hours ago Sydney. You can't lose track of time like this…He'll get suspicious" a hissed comment. Not even kindness penetrated his voice. No "are you okay". No feigned consideration.  
  
It had been 2 months since my mission involving the Khasinau exchange; since my mission with Vaughn. my father had fabricated evidence to corroborate my stories. my lies of protection. he had done what he needed in one capacity. But failed miserably in another. He was there for me as a partner. A co-worker. Call it what you will…He wasn't so accomplished in respect to his role as my father thought. He didn't once ask her if I needed to talk after killing Sark. He didn't ask if I needed to be recused. He didn't even ask if Vaughn or Will was safe. The first words he had uttered when I got off the plane were "Sloane needs you"  
  
Sloane always needed me now. Especially since I returned from Taipei. A day here and there allotted for her free time. I had racked up so many frequent flyer miles in the past 2 months that I could easily jet set around the world with France and Will for several weeks if I chose to do so…  
  
When I had finally gotten off the elevator and entered the conference room I was apparently not interrupting a meeting, but it felt as if I was. Sloane and Dixon looked up as if they were being disturbed from the document that they were engrossed in. Marshall had been playing with his PDA and my entrance had caused it to fall and make a loud clatter as it rattled against the harsh material of the industrial floor.  
  
Sloane gained some composure before I had a chance to explain that my key card was tucked in my car at an SD_6 mechanic who wasn't generous enough to provide me with a rental car while I was inconvenienced.  
  
"You're late." He said. "Sit" the brevity of his words scared me a bit but I nodded my head and sat. Dixon looked over at me and offered a weak smile. Dixon had resumed work a month after Taipei. He and I had found a few spare moments to clear up his questions and he became my ally…he was now also a double agent…as if there weren't enough of us…  
  
"Mr. Vaughn won't be joining us this morn…" he looked at his overpriced watch and grumbled "afternoon"  
  
"We have just gained new Intel about the acquisitions of Mr. Sark. It seems He was affiliated with Starbucks…"  
  
After I had heard that, I immediately looked at Sloane as though he had three heads and 7 eyes. As if he was a monster…which he was in a different capacity.  
  
"Good to know your awake this morning, Sydney" He muttered. He motioned to Marshall.  
  
Marshall stood up and smoothed his Walt Disney Tie and began speaking. "Sark's last acquisition was the Bella Holding Company in Southern France which, get this, is the same holding company as Starbucks coffee."  
  
Sloane interrupted "While he could have just been investing in an enterprise business as it would appear to the naked eye, the surveillance you gathered and delivered yesterday has proven our worst fear. Starbucks coffee is the front company for Khasinau and his cohorts."  
  
After a break for lunch we resumed our meeting. Descriptions of possible acts performed by agents posing as Starbucks employees…and my daydreams of Sloane asking me to actually serve coffee as a mission invaded my brain. Finally at 1:16PM three rapid knocks slammed on the door to the conference room. And a booming "no body move" sounded.  
  
  
TBC 


	13. Nobody move

"Nobody move…" my father's voice was harsh and cold. "The Bella Company is not involved with Khasinau."   
  
"Well Jack, It's nice to see you and your conviction for the validity of Intel. But if you had burst in only moments later, you would have learned that I was well aware that our previous Intel was incorrect." Sloane sharply said. He motioned for my father to sit, and offered a small smile in my direction.   
  
"Bella was an acquisition of Sark, but its affiliations with Starbucks are legitimate. He didn't front any money, He didn't fund special research. Basically he used Bella as a way to launder his money and keep it out of banks. But, don't think that the sneaky bastard wasn't involved in a front company for Khasinau." Marshall continued.   
  
Darn, I thought, I was really excited to get a chance to infiltrate Starbucks…and maybe after gaining the Intel I could have snagged a free biscotti and Mocha Frappuccino…I guess I'll have to survive somehow…  
  
"Data Peer Industries is another one of Sark's acquisitions. This is he actual Front company that Sark is behind. Starbucks was supposed to lead us off the trail." Sloane said. I shook my head, sighed and thought why Sloane wasted over 2 hours of my life on something that he knew was insignificant. I couldn't fathom an answer and all I could do was listen, because if I listened then this would take less time.  
  
"What's my mission?" I asked abruptly asked. I might have to sit here for another few hours, but maybe my question could get Sloane focused on why I was really here…After all This wasn't a casual relaxing social outing…   
  
"There is no mission." He flatly said.  
  
"Why am I here then?"  
  
"I wanted to keep you up to date on our information regarding Sark…" he responded.  
  
"If you wanted my attention towards this information couldn't you have sent me a report from analysis?"  
  
Marshall exhaled deeply and mumbled that he needed to leave. Sloane slammed his fist down on the table as Marshall got up and said, "Marshall…SIT. Sydney, when you took this job, no one lied. The hours are long. The information is important. I do not call you in to waste your time. I offer you respect and I expect it in return."  
  
He was gruff. I had been abrupt.   
  
"I'm sorry." I mumbled. I needed to try to smooth things out. "I'm just stressed because Agent Vaughn is still away. I realize that's no excuse for my attitude towards you… I realize this a new development, it's just difficult to concentrate when I'm preoccupied"  
  
"I understand."  
  
He didn't understand. Sloane claimed to be able to comprehend how I felt about Vaughn. He claimed to understand how I missed Vaughn.   
  
Vaughn, who he sent away right after the debriefing from Taipei…  
  
He sent him to France. He was with his mother. He was granted a reprieve. A respite from SD-6. I kill a man, I'm emotional distraught and all I get is a pat on the back and a cup of coffee. Bad coffee I might add. Vaughn gets an all expenses pairs trip to France.  
  
Sloane must have assumed I'd try to visit him. All my missions were as far away as possible. He had me so guarded that I couldn't sneak away on false pretenses. I could do nothing. Nothing at All.   
  
  
After Will's extraction 2 months prior he had been placed in CIA custody.   
  
Protective custody.   
  
I visited him. He was not a substitute for Vaughn. He was just the only person I still had. I couldn't afford to lose him too.  
  
After my meeting with Sloane where nothing was revealed and nothing of importance was established I decided to visit Will.  
  
The CIA knew Sloane was having me followed. So in order to get to Will I had to go to the Gym. I had to go to the private VIP locker room, enter the pin code, quietly walk to the back room towards the private sauna and go into the maintenance closet. From there I opened the trap door and climbed down a flight of stairs and walked a mile.  
  
All to reach the basement of a condo where Will was being held.  
  
I could have walked in the front door like his guards did under the pretense of a lawyer but I had to be discreet.   
  
I opened the door to the basement, walked up the stairs to visit and proceeded to his room.  
  
Something didn't feel right as I heard a loud bang coming from his hallway…  
  
TBC 


	14. Takeout Will POV

When I saw the barrel of the gun pointed directly at my chest I was sure this wasn't the 'take out' I had requested. I had thought a greasy burger or some salty fries were what would enter through the bolted door, not a man with a gun actually planning to 'take me out'. I was lucky because under that bulky gray sweatshirt that I had been sporting; resided a toasty bulletproof vest but luckily my aggressor didn't know that and at first I forgot too. When the bullet hit me it was all in slow motion. I felt the cold metal object knock me over and render me almost unconscious. The man who shot me wasn't satisfied with the body that lay at his feet so he kicked me in my side, but I knew better and refused to flinch. He was satisfied with his job and I heard footsteps recede. I lay there, still as a statue for a minute. Then another. Eventually I lost count of the ticks and tocks made by the prefabricated clock that was perched above the desk. I laid there thinking….wondering if I was dead ands if this was hell. This had to be hell because I just found out that my best friend in the world had lied to be since the day we met. She led this double life, and now I was part of it. I always secretly wanted to play a more active role in her life, but this was never how it seemed in even in my wildest dreams. When she had explained to me the truth, I almost didn't believe it. It all made sense, but I wondered how I could be so blind, and how I feel in love with a fictional woman.   
  
Sydney Bristow didn't exist. Sydney Bristow was a figment of my imagination; that popped in and out of my life once in awhile, only just long enough to leave a slight impression. My eyes were still shut, my breathing still non existent and my mind trailed. My train of thought was not related to my life flashing before my eyes but rather to Sydney's lack of a thank you. She asked me…demanded that I keep her secret. She never thanked me for following her rules. Her rules were to a complicated game where neither the winner nor the loser actually won. Everyone dies eventually in her game. And it had almost been me.  
  
My rules, the ones that I wanted to allow to control my life were simple. Sydney and I run to some exotic beach and forget the lies, forget the pain and live happily ever after. Despite the fact that it wasn't a rule rather a twisted fantasy… A smile began to penetrate my stiff cadaverous face and I knew such thoughts were better spent in a less dire situation.  
  
I heard another set of footsteps in the background. They offered a strong click and an occasion clack to the deadly silence. I heard a gasp and I knew that she was really there. I gently opened my eyes knowing that I could sense her footsteps a mile away. I knew her presence was near and I opened my eyes to see her weary face, covered in an odd mixture of infinite sadness and worry. I had only seen her cry when Danny died. She barely shed a tear then too. Despite her tear stained face that was apparent at times, she usually hid her emotions very well. I assumed it was a job requirement. Right up there with lie to your friends, and lead a dangerous double life. She eyes widened as she saw that I wasn't dead. She chocked out a faint "Will" and I hoarsely responded "I'm okay"   
  
But, Damn it. I wasn't okay. I had been isolated in a bolted CIA safe house without food, television or my close friends. And to top of everything minutes ago a man tried to kill me…  
  
I definitely was not okay. I was about 30 miles south of okay and yet I couldn't tell any of that to her. She was Sydney, the girl of my dreams and what good would it do anyone if I became a whimpering numps. Numps. After playing boggle last fall I constant thought of reasons to use the word. It reminded me that we kissed, for one moment things were going right  
  
That wasn't reality though.  
  
Really was that Sydney was leaning over me and things were never going to be the same. So after a few moments….after my head stopped spinning She helped me up. She embraced me. She hugged me. She pulled away and dialed her cell phone. She whispered something.   
  
She looked at me. "Who?" she asked in a slow cool tone. I didn't know who. I was just an innocent bystander who investigated the possible murder of my friend's fiancé and in the process almost exposed a secret agency… I shook my head. "What did the sniper look like?" she asked.  
  
The sniper? It made me think of some bad spy movie where people killed each other and crossed it off their daily To-Do lists. Did people like that really exist? I assumed that they did, after all I had almost been a victim.  
  
"Short, black hair. Tall. muscular…" I said. I wasn't sure what she needed to hear. Usually when writing a description of someone for an article I'd throw in that an assailant was blue eyed…but not because I had observed his eyes. I just heard what the police commissioner had said and reworded it. There was no precedent; Nothing to base my observations on.  
  
This was enough for Sydney. She mumbled "Sloane." I didn't know what that meant. It could have meant a million things. Maybe it meant 'damn' in some language.   
  
After all she spoke more than two… more than two dozen I guessed. She spoke French when she rescued me, she could order Chinese food from the place on Montgomery that always got our orders wrong except when you ordered in mandarin. I had caught her once ordering dinner. When I had asked her about what she was saying…she brushed it off as something she picked up at a bank merger. I asked myself: when people discuss Won Ton soup at Mergers?  
  
I couldn't answer that.   
  
But now that I knew who she really was I assumed she'd ordered Chinese on a mission to China.  
  
"Sloane" could have been Pig Latin for something. I never learned Pig Latin, so I could only guess that it could be. It could have been even a name or even something my mind couldn't fathom. I didn't have a chance to imagine the significance of what she meant. She just shook her head and said "We need to go…"  
  
"Where?" I asked.   
  
Stupid question.   
  
Wherever she brought me I would be the last person told. Why would anyone tell me anything? I was a liability. I was just a civilian that the government was protecting.  
  
She weakly smiled. "I don't know."  
  
She squeezed my clammy hand and darted her eyes as we walked through the steely hallway. We walked down a flight of stars and reached a door that said "high voltage." I flinched a little. She noticed.  
  
"It's an exit. They put that sign up to made you think otherwise…"  
  
She opened the door. She opened on door to reveal a second door; a door with a computer screen where the door knob would be. She placed her hand over the screen and an automated female voice said "access granted" The door receded into the wall and we walked through. Both doors shut. We were in a large concrete room; White ceiling, white walls, and two men standing in the corner.  
  
"Where are we?" I asked. She didn't answer my question. "The man to to the right is Agent Weiss, he also works for the CIA." She didn't identify the 2nd man whose back was towards me.  
  
"Where's Dixon?" I asked. Sydney had told me Vaughn, the CIA agent who helped me escape, was away. He wouldn't be here. Dixon should have been though. He was the only guy I ever knew that worked with Sydney; Other than the guy who gave her the frame. If she worked for the CIA…then my logic assumed so must he.  
  
He pursed he lips and looked towards the man on her right. He nodded and she said, "He doesn't work for the CIA"  
  
I took a double take. "Don't you go on most of your business trips with him…" I began my sentence and regretted it. It was obvious that she was having an affair with him. A married bank executive…. "Syd could you…. He's married…" I regretted that more. What I she wasn't having an affair. Why was I so confused?  
  
The man who had his back towards me turned around and it was Jack Bristow her father.   
  
"What the…" I began. For a reporter who usually had a large vocabulary of words, I was at a loss. I had cursed the same curses about 47 times today….  
"Mr. Tippin. Sydney has never had an affair with Dixon. He is a co-worker of hers at Credit Dauphine. He is a co-worker. Nothing more." Jack said in his stone cold voice.  
  
"But if He and Sydney work together And Sydney works for the CIA,….maybe I'm missing something but… what does he do then…" I asked  
  
"Dixon and I work at Credit Dauphine. Which is a front company for a covert branch of the CIA. That's what they told me when I began working there 7 years ago…"  
  
7 years. She has been holding this in for Seven years…  
  
"Last summer I told Danny about what I do…Who I am… They had him killed. That's when I learned I was working for the very people I thought I was fighting against…"  
  
What was she saying…  
  
"When I found out I went to the real CIA. I'm a double agent…. This might not make sense. I don't expect it to… but you needed to know the whole truth… the reason why you're here…"  
  
"Does Credit Dauphine…the enemy… think you told me?" I asked.   
  
She shook her head. "No. There are other agencies. There are other bad guys who are trying to take us down; One of them… "The Man" …That's who had been feeding you intel."  
  
"What kind of name is "the man"?" I asked.   
  
"This guy is dangerous …"  
  
One of the other men spoke. "Sydney has been tracking him for a few months. Little by little we have been trying to destroy him. We are going to need to find out everything he has said to you."  
  
"I told Sydney already…" I said. It was a whine. I wanted to be left a lone to mull over the facts. Sydney was a spy for the good guys, trying to take down the bad guys. Sydney was trying to take down another agency or person and I got in the middle… What kind of name was "the Man" anyways?  
  
"Agent Weiss knows you have spoken. You need to be debriefed though." Jack said.  
  
"Can someone grab me a burger first… maybe some fries too?" I asked.  
  
The air was hazy. It was hot. They were dressed in business attire telling me they are trying to rid the world of evil and all I could do was ask for Take-out… 


	15. Snippy

(Sydney POV)  
  
  
Will found out the truth.   
  
He asked for some take-out.  
  
Weiss picked some up…  
  
It was the least we could do.  
  
  
While Vaughn had been on vacation, I had been loaded down with ridiculous missions. Each mission more ridiculous then the last.  
  
There was the one where I wore the fat suit and visited an Food convention.  
  
Once during the last two months I sported a GIRL SCOUT uniform at a jamboree.  
  
There was also a ridiculous stint as a cripple.  
  
The disguises may have been necessary but the missions weren't…  
  
"Find out what is in those ridiculous Thin Mints I bought from the girl next door" Sloane wasn't satisfied with the ingredients on the back, He claimed there was an isotope emitted and that it was imperative I examine the jamborree's Cookie warehouse. Big surprise that the cookies were nothing more than flour, water, starch and chocolate.  
  
"Find out if Doctor Torres has his medical journals dog-eared" This doctor was over 70 years old and not only was I supposed to see if those books were dog-eared but also which pages. The report I wrote about my finding took over 30 pages…  
  
It was no surprise I had zero tolerance for Sloane. My responses had been getting snippy. My work had become sloppy.  
  
After Weiss and my father relocated Will, Weiss gave me a phone number. He said "Vaughn" and I smiled.  
  
Weiss instructed me to drive 50 miles outside Los Angeles to a pay phone. I needed to pin in a phone card number which would disable surveillance from tapping the line, then I needed to call a CIA cell phone that Vaughn had acquired.  
  
It was all very clandestine, but I didn't care. Weiss had told me Sloane had okayed Vaughn's departure. He was coming home. Sloane felt he was capable of coming back to SD-6. When Sloane killed my fiancé he gave me a month to recover, but when Vaughn goes on one mission he gets a 2 month hiatus… I decided not to ponder it any further and to drive the CIA sanctioned rental I picked up.   
  
Privacy was pricey but it was worth it… 


	16. He Never The end

***Author's note:*** After a two moth hiatus, I posted chapters 13-16 for DWF. I did not forget, I blame it on school and impending homework. I got my act together so There will be sooner updates.  
  
  
Let me clarify a few things. Will was in protective custody like he was in episode twenty one; he was shot like he was in episode 21….but it isn't based off the show. There are snippets from the last two episodes…but my story goes in a completely different path than season two has. (I'm sure you have noticed this though)   
  
The story has gotten angsty. I'm sorry about that. It can't all be fluff. I hope you enjoyed my first long-term series. It was cliffhangers and prose… but it worked for me.  
  
)________(  
  
  
  
Chapter 16: He Never  
  
  
  
  
I dialed his number.  
  
I waited for the ringing to begin.  
  
A voice picked up on the second ring.  
  
"Bonjour Mon Ami" his rich voice said. I smiled and responded "Bonjour" We resumed to speech English, not that we couldn't carry-on in French for hours.  
  
He told me he missed me.   
  
I told him I had been scared.  
  
He told me the weather had been decent.   
  
I told him I wouldn't have noticed if there had been a blizzard.  
  
He laughed.  
  
I asked how his mother was.  
  
He said his mother was fine.   
  
He reminded me to take my vitamins.   
  
I reminded him to come home in one piece.  
  
He told me he was coming home.   
  
I told him that's where he belonged.   
  
I told him I loved him…  
  
He told me he devised a way to destroy SD-6.  
  
The last thing shocked me. I asked how.  
  
He said "Arvin Sloane is a man of power. When you take away the power all you are left with is a man."  
  
"A man without power. But a man with friends. What about the Alliance?"  
  
"One step at a time. As soon as I return; I'm having a debriefing with Sloane. We are going to have dinner. Weiss has arranged for his beverage to be laced. I'm going to drive him home. As soon as he's out… We're in…"  
  
What did that mean? Did that mean we were one step closer to destroying SD-6, or that we were one step deeper into deceit?  
  
I decided either way, I was in.   
  
Vaughn told me his plane was boarding. I wished him luck.  
  
That was the last time I secretly heard from him, because when his plane landed, he wasn't there. He wasn't on the passenger manifest. He wasn't on the plane. He never made it to the plane.   
  
He never. He vanished off the face of the earth. 6 days later a plane I was scheduled to board never landed with me aboard either. Dixon went missing with Diane and her children. We all vanished. It felt good.  
  
Within 6 months, Francie, Will, and Weiss were safe too.   
  
Sloane remained in Los Angeles thinking his top Four agents died in unfortunate accidents that he didn't construct. He thought he killed Will. He thought wrong. Within six months and his sloppy rescue missions we were able to cripple his agency. The agency that almost killed me.  
  
It was gone.  
  
We were free.  
  
The CIA rounded up all the high ranking SD-6 officers and placed them in custody. Where they were to be held without trial for the remainder of there lives.  
  
All information pertaining to SD-6 was classified omega 17.  
  
Credit Dauphine was in the newspapers because they went bankrupt. "A BANK WITH NO MONEY" read one headline. Everyone assumed they had gone under. They blamed the economy. The CIA took over. They used it for a covert Black ops division. The real CIA took over the credit Dauphine Front company. They made it into the headquarters for a new very successful chain of pizzerias…  
  
JOEY"S PIZZA anyone?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
******* The End….*****  
  
  
**** There is no more. I'm done. I hope you have been entertained…mildly amused or at most rolled your eyes. Thank you for reading, reviewing and being great fans.  
  
I'd like to extend a large thank you to Ambrose who has been a great friend ( not to mention an excellent writer) and who has encouraged me to continue updating my stories. If you haven't checked out "Storage Room Secrets" or any of her other stories, then you need to do that… :)  
  
Another thank you goes to my Fellow Princesses Paranoia. My three best buds have read, reviewed and put up with me. I know They wanted to strangle me when I babbled about what I was writing, reading or watching in correlation to Alias, but There persistence that there is a world outside of Alias, inspired me to continued writing. Please don't try to understand that rambling.  
  
My last Thank you goes to Alias itself, without which I never would have written this story. Long Live Alias!  
  
  
THANK YOU!!  
  
~E 


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